January 2015 retail sales data shows that the average selling price of a 3-year-old aerodynamic sleeper tractor this month was $87,476. This figure was higher than January 2014’s average by $2,619 (or 3.1%)....

The volume of sub-400,000-mile sleeper tractors sold in the retail channel continues to increase, but pricing hasn’t yet suffered. In fact, January’s results show an across-the-board increase in pricing from December that pushed our universal benchmark average to a new all-time record...

Sleeper tractors with less than 500,000 miles are depreciating at a mildly accelerated rate, due most likely to the increased supply of trades. The Peterbilt 587 and Freightliner Cascadia led the 3-year-old market in 2014, outperforming the industry average. A recovery appears to be underway for most segments of the medium duty market. Retail sales volume is stable, with little change from 2013-2014. Wholesale volume was up incrementally in that period. Expect stable to mildly downward pricing in upcoming months as the supply of trades accelerates.

Class 6 conventionals closed out 2014 on a high note, with the average wholesale price of a 4-7 year-old unit coming in at $20,206. This figure is $2,936 (or 16.9%) higher than November, and $2,435 (or 13.6%) higher than December, 2013...